SAO
by rbear1231
Summary: What if there was a red player that was not a member of the laughing coffin. rated M for language graffic violence and adult situations and nudity. a/n re edited chapter 1 1/4/15
1. Chapter 1

** Scene starts at the end of episode 14 of SAO 2. also I am going to use there in game names with the exception of Agent Kikuota.**

It was the day after the 'Battle of Bullets'.Kirito had sent word that he was fine and so was his new friend Shino. Agil had closed his cafe with a large 'reserved' sign on the door as he sat with Klein, Asuna, Lisbeth, Silicia and strangely Agent Kikuota. Why the government man was there no one knew but Kirito trusted him so the group went with it.

"Man I am starting to wish we had listened to Beast," Klein sighed as he sat with the others finishing his bourbon.

"Beast? You mean the guard of the prison?" Agil asked as Asuna shivered. Silicia and Lisbeth just looked at their chestnut haired friend confused.

"He was more than that," Klein replied "He was the only blood red player that did not go to the prison…or get reported."

"Say again?" Kikuota the government man both Klein and Agil did not trust spoke up confused.

The in game prison set up by the players was a good idea in his eyes and when the game ended, the government was able to quickly find and deal with those that were accused of crimes. Without it a lot of players would have gotten away with many crimes.

"Beast, real name unknown, leader of the guild HoH, though I never knew what that stood for." Klein started. "A red guild means they were Player killers. But despite that, we learned quickly all his victims were in fact red players themselves."

"He and his guild took out 3 of the 'Red Guilds'," Agil continued. "The Devils Outcasts, named after a movie about crazy murder driven family. The 'Blood Queens' an all-female band of murders they seduced men then stole everything they have and they never left survivors."

"And the third were the Devil Dogs," Asuna finally spoke in a weak voice. She did not notice that Kirito had just walked in the door with another teenage girl right behind him, the rest of the group had noticed him and figured this was Shino. Asuna just kept speaking.

"He… butchered them; something about them pushed him over an edge." Asuna finished and Klein was about to speak up.

"That was a nasty day," Kirito spoke as he walked in the door. " We actually wanted to arrest him that day, it was the one time we thought about arresting him after we learned his victims were all red."

"Why would you want him then?" Kikuoka asked.

"He….

_**SAO small Inn on floor 55:**_

"I hear you are heading out to capture the Laughing Coffin guild." a voice spoke causing Kirito to look up from his meal.

The man was large; he was also one of the few Americans in SAO. He wore a long brown trench coat that looked well used and beaten up. His face also had several scars, it was clear he had been in a few fights before coming to this world.

He had a two handed Great Axe on his back much like Agil's only far stronger. He was known only as Beast, and he was clearly a red player.

"Not so loud." Kirito whispered as the man sat.

"I'm in." he spoke.

**After the fight:**

The battle was nasty and the LC did not go down without a fight. At the end there were 21 LC dead 20 captured and numerous deaths on the raiders' side.

"We need to kill them all," Beast said as he went to grab a LC member a dagger gripped in his free hand.

"No! We send them to the prison!" Asuna shouted as she blocked his path.

The remainder of the raid party were split in two half following Asuna, and the other not sure what to do.

"That would be a mistake," Beast replied but against all odds stepped back. "Let them live and I promise you more will die at their hands."

His argument was strong; Kirito, Klein, and Agil all looked at each other.

"Maybe, but…" Schmitt started and looked at the Beasts red curser.

"Not all of us are able to be red players. We killed during the fight and we all regret it, now the fight is over I don't think we can kill them now."

"I will do it, I don't have any problems being red." was Beasts reply.

"No, and that is our final say." the raid party leader replied.

"Then put me in charge of the prison. I cannot risk them getting free. I swear I will not kill unless they try to escape."

"Only because you have always been there when we needed you and have never broken your word, I will speak with the guild leaders about your willingness to volunteer. It will be up to them but I will try to encourage them to agree." Schmitt spoke and his tone of voice ended all argument from the others….

**Back in the Dicey Cafe':**

"So he foresaw this?" the government man asked.

"He understood them better than any of us. He was the one to find their guild hall and he made it safe for a lot of players just trying to survive." Klein spoke.

"He was still scary," Asuna replied. "Violent and cruel. Just because he only killed Red players doesn't change the fact he was not a good person.

**A/n re-edited by Draco38. anyone else wish to hear the story?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n for the few people that read my stuff, i wish to say thank you. my other story is on hold do to massive writers block. the words just are not forming the way i want. Draco38 introduced me to SAO and well the muse sorta woke up. like dislike hate, leave a reveiw.**

One hour after the launch of Sword Art Online:

He walked through the Town of Beginnings casually, happy to finally be here. After missing his chance to be a beta tester due to his time in the hospital, he had been very anxious about even making the launch today.

Standing six foot tall and over two hundred pounds. He was a sight and it was clear he was an American. Wearing his beginner armor, hand axe and shield strapped over his back, the man had just finished selling the items he had collected during his first hour of level grinding.

"Hey, big dude?!" another player shouted and waved at him. "Not many Americans here, where you live?"

"Hokkaido," he replied simply as he tuned to walk away.

He was not trying to be rude but he was not here on this day to socialize, he was here to hunt.

"Cool. So want to come questing with us?" the guy asked running quickly to catch up.

It was not the rudest way he had been asked to party with someone, he Stoped and turned to see not only the kid that was talking but three others, two boys and a girl, the boys moved and acted like, as a guess, like they were teens maybe 14 or 15 despite their avatars' looking older. The woman was in fact that, a woman. As a guess he figured mid 20's.

"If we travel together I must know something, what are your ages?" he looked at all four of them his face booked no argument.

"I am Toma," the one that first called him started "I'm 15 and these are my brothers Kiba" he pointed to the next that had sandy brown hair.

The boy waved and smiled "I'm 14"

Toma turned to the other. "This is Roku he is 12 and the baby."

"I am not a baby," Roku whined and tried to kick his brother.

The woman stepped between the two boys to end the fight. "I am Ryoko I'm 24 and I guess you can call me these boys... Nanny."

He just nodded and started to invite them into a group, "I'm Rob and I'm 35."

He smiled at the kids avatar names; Toma was 'Slasher' Kiba was 'Basher' and little Roku was 'Smasher'. Ryoko just used her real name Ryoko Light-blade.

"Cool name," Toma said as they started to walk out of the town. "Beast, simple yet makes people think when they see it."

Beast smiled "It is a nickname I earned when I was your age, guess I never got over it."

Heading east to a hidden hog spawning ground he had found Beast looked at the woman.

"Nanny?" he asked raisin one eyebrow causing her to smile.

"Yes I have worked for their parents since I was 17, they were not 100% sure about letting the boys play this game, so I helped convince them that I would go along as a chaperon."

"You just wanted to play the game too?" Beast smirked as she smiled.

"And they even spent the money to buy the game and the Nerve Gear! If all I have to do is keep these three out of trouble for a few hours a day I say it was a good deal for me."

They reached the spawning grounds quickly and when they spotted the Hogs everyone got ready. Toma favored a one-handed sword and wooden shield, Kiba had a one-handed mace and shield where Roku had a two-handed hammer and no shield,

_'At least they are playing to their names'_ Beast thought as he smiled and looked at Ryoko, she favored a Katana and with the way she moved he knew she had real world training with that style of weapon

It did not take long and the five of them were working well together. They attacked the pigs covering each other and was turning into a well-oiled machine.

Hours passed, and each one of them had gained several levels just from pilling up the pork.

Then there was a loud Bell from the Town, and thinking it was some great opening event they each rushed back to the town square. That is when all hell broke loose with Akihiko Kayaba grim announcement

The mirror revealed what each person looked like, Toma Kiba and Roku looked like what he thought, kids. Roku was smaller than his brothers for a brief second Beast laughed thinking how funny it will look with him swinging his hammer. Ryoko was very pretty dark black hair that went to her waist deep brown eyes and well-formed body.

Beast looked at himself a little, the scars on his left hand pretty much told him that the rest of his scars were probably visible as well and Ryoko's gasp was not a shock, he was indeed not easy on the eyes.

Thinking quickly before the stampede over took the group he grabbed all four of them and pulled them into a building, closing and locking the door. The screams outside were hard to listen to, as far as everyone knew the world had just changed and everything they had known a few minutes before was in fact gone.

"What does this mean?" Toma started to ask, tears slowly running down his face.

"That Akihiko was telling the truth," Beast replied. "We are stuck here till the game is beaten and if we die we die for real." It was hard for him to say it, especially to three young boys, but he knew it was fact.

The boys started to cry loudly begging for their mothers scared about dying. Ryoko didn't speak she stood up and went to another room.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" Beast shouted. "Now is not the time, pull it together, everyone up stairs." and he grabbed each boy and pushed pulled and in Kiba's case carried them up the stair to the next floor.

"Listen, we will be alright, all we have to do is survive till the game is won, there are 9000 hardcore gamers in SAO right now and I am sure many of them planned to beat this game before this happened."

As he spoke he was praying that the kids parents did not miss the message about not unplugging them, he knew he did not have to worry about it himself.

"All this means is we just do what we have already done, we grind levels make money get new weapons and armor and survive, and it's what we wanted to do to begin with all we have to do is just play the game."

After about an hour of talking with the boys, each fell asleep, Beast stood and went to the room Ryoko had hidden herself in. Knocking on the door he just let himself in after there was no reply. On the bed he found her lying face down, he watched her for a minute before she lifted her head and looked at him. Her face was stained with her tears but at the moment none were falling.

"Play the game?" she asked in a weak voice.

He nodded. "We just play the game, stay alive and use our heads; It's been a few hours so I'm guessing your employer got the message about unplugging."

"I guess so, but how can we get home, I enjoy gamming but I'm casual I've never been interested in actually beating this game."

"We don't have to, I'm like you I want to play the game, but I'm not really the kind of guy that tries to win It." he tried to assure her. "But we have 9000 players and I am sure many of them were planning to beat this game even before this. All this does is give them more reason to do so."

"Do you believe that?" she asked hope clearly trying to find its way into her mind.

"Did you ever play a game like this where there was not hundreds of crazy hardcore morons doing nothing but trying to beat the game first just to have bragging rights?"

That did it; she burst out laughing and finally smiled breaking her melancholy. She got up and followed him back to where the boys were sleeping. She smiled as she watched them.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"Don't thank me yet it is only day one." was his reply as he looked out the open window at the chaos below.

**A/N thanks to draco38 for the editing.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Three months after the start of the death game:**

The click of the camera was the signal for everyone to return to their meal. As Beast sat back down he watched the three boys dig into their dinner with gusto. This was a celebration to congratulate the boys for all reaching level 15, as well as for Ryoko for reaching level 23 on the same day.

After the victory over the first floor boss, the hardcore gamers started rolling through the floor bosses like a Juggernaut, but that did not concern him. He just cared about staying alive and getting the kids home safe.

So they camped out at the local inn of a floor for a while working on their skills, talents and, for the three boys at least, their school work.

"Ok you little gremlins, time to get back to your studies," Beast smiled as the older boys started to whine about their task.

"Come on we are in a fight for our lives can't we skip math, for today?" Kiba begged.

"When you get home I don't what your parents to accuse me of letting you guys just lay around doing nothing but playing games," Ryoko replied sternly. "That was the reason they did not want you to come here to begin with. It is my job to make sure you keep up with your studies and I _will_ do my job."

Toma turned to beast, "Beast, help us out here?"

"No," he simply replied. "You both failed your last test and I told you I will not show you the secret hunting spot till all of you pass. Ryoko is right your studies are important and many, many years from now you will understand." He smiled at her as the boys groaned.

"Done!" Roku exclaimed as he held up his notebook that held his daily homework in it.

Beast took the notebook and went over it slowly as Roku's two OLDER brothers just fumed.

"You need to look at these three but otherwise it looks good to me," Beast smiled and placed his hand palm down on the table, a signal for the older boys not to think what they were thinking, they quickly sat back.

He handed the book to Ryoko for her to double check and smiled at the boy. He was the youngest and the smallest, but Roku was always done first, with his studies or with his skill levels. The young man worked very hard.

"Does this mean I get to see the new hunting ground now?" Roku asked hopefully.

"No, remember I told you, we do things as a group," Beast replied. "Being first is ok but I want you three to work together which means you should be helping them with their school work, work together, work as a team."

All three boys nodded and started to get to work, she saw Ryoko smiling at him from the corner of his eye.

"If you don't need anything I think I will head to the town square and see what I can find for dinner," Beast said as he stood to leave, with the three boys askinf for ice cream and hamburgers.

"See if you can find fresh vegetables," he heard Ryoko call out earning a new round of moans and groans from the boys.

**23:45PM**

It had been a long ten hours since he left; he had gotten the food and sent it by delivery before he headed out. Ryoko was the only one that knew about him grinding higher level floors solo, and ever since the first time she had found out his secret she was there to meet him when he returned.

His armor arms and face were covered in blood and he had several scratches that she could see. He did not speak at first as he headed for the bath Ryoko following right behind him.

The bathroom had the basics of a toilet sink and bath tub, but also a 'magic' shower. Stripping his armor off he quickly got under the perfectly hot water as it fell over him, he knew Ryoko would not go to bed till she was sure he was cleaned and resting.

"How do you do it?" her voice broke his silence. "Go from level 36 to level 40 in just ten hours?"

"A trick I learned reading the beta forums" he replied. "change your detail settings from standard to max, this makes you work more. Instead of just taping the food with your knife to get it prepped,you actually have to chop up everything. And not just for cooking, it effects how much work you have to do in everything you do."

"That is why you have to actually unbutton and remove each piece of clothing and armor?" she asked as she started washing his back, running fingers over the scars, not just the ones he had before SAO but the ones he had earned since. The wounds heal quickly but they leave small marks to show he had been in a fight, she guessed this was part of the 'Maxed Detail'

"Then change the Pain Dampeners from high to off." he continued and she stopped. Turning the dampeners down means that injuries during fights hurt more, turning them off means they hurt a hell of a lot more.

"This way if I get hurt I bleed, and if the wound is big enough or bad enough I can actually bleed to death, if I don't use a healing crystal or potion soon enough," he told her quietly.

"Then why?" she started shocked he would do something like this.

"I get double experience points," he answered. "The more work and pain you go through the more you are rewarded. The designer that came up with this wanted to answer the request that many of the older gamers have made, the 'Make it real' request."

"Are… there other tricks?" she asked her voice shy and quiet.

"Like?" was his reply.

"You have done so much, you did not need to quest and hunt with us, you did not need to watch over us after the death game started," she leaned into his back and hugged his chest. "Is there a way I could take you to bed and show you how thankful I truly am?"

He turned and pulled her around him to stand behind her as she faced the wall of water still falling on them both. "Open main menu,"

After she did he gave her eleven things to do. When she was done and closed the menu she waited not sure what would happen.

"AAAHHHH!" she cried as Beasts hands came up and cupped her bare breasts, squeezing softly and rubbing her nipples with his fingers.

Before she wore a simple sports bra and underwear, the games natural censorship, now she stood fully nude in the shower and just from the feel behind her, he was also not wearing the boxers he had been in.

"Two things," he started as he let her go. "First I never touch what is not offered, if you say stop I will stop no questions or complaints."

"And the second?" her voice shivered she was trying not to complain about him not touching her.

He leaned in and whispered something in her ear; after standing there for a moment she reached back grabbed his hands and putting them back on her breasts leaned forward and placed both of her hands on the wall of the shower.

No more words were spoken that night.

**Yggdraisl city Asuna's apartment.**

"We do not need a play by play of how they….had intiment relations" Asuna started to protest when Yui-chan started to describe, in detail.

The group had all gone to ALO, and the government man wanted more information on the Beast. Turns out the only one that actually knew much was in fact Yui-chan.

"I didn't know you could actually have sex?" Klein stated looking at the others; he seemed to be the only one who didn't know.

"I read about it on the beta forum about a week before the launch," Agil stated as he sat back at his table.

" Me too," Liz, and Silicia said at the same time, only to start laughing at the moment.

"A girl in my guild told me about it." Asuna smirked as she watched Klein's face.

"And did you partake?" a female voice asked from behind Kirito as she looked at Agil

The woman had a Fairy avatar that looked a lot like Asuna's only with dark purple hair. The woman was Kathy Mills, Agil's real world wife who, while he was trapped in SAO, kept his bar running. As she sat next to her husband she smiled.

"No, I was planning to test that function when you arrived that night, but no I never tried it" he replied returning the smile.

"Wow two years with no relief! You know I would have forgiven once every few months, for medicinal purposes," she smiled and laughed at the look on most of the young ones faces.

"I am more interested in this double xp," Leafa stated.

"Again, I read that on the forum but never tried it," Agil said again, trying not to fall prey to his wife's teasing. "I was not sure about the pain."

"This is the first I ever heard of it," Asuna said and the other two girls nodded in agreement.

Then as one, everyone turned to the one person that was a beta tester…Kirito.

"It hurts like hell, I could only do it for an hour at a time, after that it felt like I would die long before my hit points hit zero." He stood and walked up to Asuna, "If he could do that for hours at a time, he must have a very high pain tolerance."

"Is this the same guy?" Asuna asked. "The Beast I knew was rude, nasty, mean, violent and cruel. This guy seems strong and nice."

"Yeah," Leafa added. "From the way it sounds, he was able to get everyone to calm down and helped them forget they were prisoners and just enjoy them selves. From what news reports I've heard a lot of people, children and adults, just lost it in there."

Klein and Kirito both gave each other a grim look, Kirito just shook his head mouthing to his friend to not say anything yet.

"So Kirito, Asuna?" Klein started to ask. "When you two got married did you ever…"

SLAP! The sound echoed and the 25 year old hit the floor holding the back of his head. Everyone froze as Ms. Mills just stood over the boy massaging her hand.

"Please refrain from asking stupid questions, Yui-chan please continue."

**I use this as a referance to help me write it is easier for me if i know there is some one telling the story...and i picked Yui-chan.**


	4. Chapter 4

Another month went by; the boys all passed the latest tests and made it to level 17 which means Beast was going to show them a good hunting spot which turned out to be on the 10th floor, two floors up. This being the first time Beast ever allowed the group to go up more than one floor at a time they were very thrilled.

Beast had slowed his massive leveling binges, mainly because he was helping Ryoko try to catch up with him. She did try the bonus leveling but found it was hard to handle more than fifteen to twenty minutes, so she had only gained six levels in two weeks.

The group was out in a large grassy square of the town and as the boys played a game of tag Ryoko looked over at Beast.

"I'm sorry I have not been able to power level with you but I don't want to leave the boys alone, and I really don't want them to learn about this trick." she whispered in apology.

Beast just chuckled. "Don't worry about it, you're right that the boys don't need to be left alone for two long and they wouldn't be able to handle the pain."

Ryoko just hugged his arm tighter. "I just wish I had time to gain more levels that way you don't always have to take the brunt of the fight."

She was thinking how two weeks before had been the day that he went to help with the Boss of the 25th floor, he did make it through but he was very banged up. A messenger had come to their room and at first she was scared speechless believing that he had died in the fight, only to find out he was alive but needed some help walking.

"Don't, I'm ok being the tank, as long as you and the boys are safe and happy, then I am very happy." he smiles and leaned down to kiss her, earning a cat call from the boys who had stopped playing and were watching them.

A week before Roku had woken early from a nightmare and went to Ryoko's room, were he found both her and Beast asleep in her bed. That was when the boys learned about their relationship turns out none of them had any problem; 'about time' was all the older boys had to say.

"DAMN IT!" Toma shouted breaking the two out of the kiss.

"No swearing." Ryoko called and headed to the boys.

"I tore my shoe" he whined as he held up the mentioned leather shoe, the sole had started to split off and he could put his hand through the hole.

"Still no reason to curse." she replied, giving a sigh as she took his shoe to look at it.

Looking at his watch Beast smiled. "How about I take Toma and Kiba to get new shoes." and he pointed at Kiba's feet where his shoe was starting to fall apart.

"Do you have enough money?" she asked concerned, despite everything she still had trouble with him spending too much of his money on them.

"No problem, come on gremlins let's roll." he smiled and waved to the boys.

"Don't be late I will have diner ready soon" Ryoko called back laughing as the two older boys hurried behind Beast.

**An hour later:**

The boys had been out in the town street running testing out the new leather boots they had just gotten when they stopped and started pointing down an alley.

"What is it boys?" Beast asked despite knowing what they were looking at, he had found this alley on one of his solo trips to this floor.

"Whores." Toma whispered and pointed.

First thing Beast did as he walked up to the boys was slap both on the back of the head.

"Prostitution is one of the oldest jobs there has ever been, and 99% of the time they live a hard life and suffer greatly. Don't ever let me catch you disrespecting them."

The shocked the boys, normally they would be told to ignore and treat them as trash that was inferior to them. Their parents were very strict and prudish when it came to people 'below their station.

"Wow I never heard anyone tell me that, usually…" Toma stated.

"You are both starting puberty, it's natural to be drawn to this thinking." Beast started. "But nether of you are mature enough yet. Understand?"

"No, but I will take your word for it," Kiba replied and Toma just nodded.

"Good, head back I will be right behind you." he told them and motioned for them to leave without arguing.

After they left he turned and went down the alley passing the women, so far he had yet to find anyone that looked underage.

"Find something?" a young man said from the shadows.

"You the Pimp?" Beast asked his whole body language had changed; now he radiated his true strength and anger.

"I wish there was a better word, I provide protection and a safe work enviro…

"In a dirty nasty alley, the only clients you will get are the dregs, go get a house with clean floors." Beast growled.

"Don't have enough, this is the best we can do. We are trying to stay out of sight of the 'younger crowd'

Beast just brought up his menu and transferred a large sum of money to the man.

"Don't ever let me hear that you abuse them and if you think about employing under age, I will hurt you _hard_." beast turned and headed out of the alley.

"I understand, come on ladies, we have a house to buy"

**Back at the Inn:**

"What kept you? Ryoko asked as he walked in and she was setting the table for the three boys.

"The boys found the alley girls," he whispered in her ear. Ryoko blushed but quickly controlled herself; he had told her about it and shown her shortly after they arrived in this town.

"Any trouble?"

"No. I just gave them a little talking to, the boys don't yet understand but they are willing to trust me." He replied.

"Good" was all she replied.

**March 20th:**

"Ok you Gremlins," Ryoko started to speak. Since Beast seemed to always call them that they decided that they wanted to make a guild, the boys called themselves The House of Gremlins or HOG. "You three will behave; I had better not get any bad reports."

She growled and the boys just nodded, this would be her and Beast first official date night. Something the boys decided she needed. A woman arrived at around six o'clock that night, Su the sitter for the evening; she came highly recommended as reliable.

"Be good you three and maybe we will let you go without a sitter next time." Beast added as he ushered Ryoko out the door.

I am not leaving those three without a sitter, ever." Ryoko growled at a smiling Beast. "Untill they are married and have a wife that controls them they can't be trusted to behave."

"That being said as this is our first date…I will let you pick where we go." he told her and she stopped and thought.

"26th floor, I want to level" she replied as she changed from her date cloths of a formal shirt and skirt to her new Blue robes under her black armor. A gift from Beast, she now resembled a true Samurai.

"As you wish," he smiled and changed into his chain mail armor and put his long coat on, it was a rare drop that added 15 strength and 15 agility. He also put on a pair of hard leather gloves with a set of iron claws.

"You're the only high level person I know that uses the Wild Dance as their primary combat skill set." She told him as they finished gearing up.

"That is because it's hard to level up and use, the half ass's tend to just level their strength, with this you need to level strength, agility, and speed." he replied smiling "but also your Acrobatics, parry, battle healing and Martial Arts, and you must level them all equally"

Arriving on the floor they headed to a strong hunting ground and started simply working back and forth, Ryoko enjoying herself as she cut through with her Katana, as Beast starting to live up to his name. This was a side of him the boys never saw, he was wild as he punched kicked and generally beat the crap out of everything.

Violent and brutal, it was the best way she could describe his true fighting style, but she also knew how gentle he could be. After an hour of melee she stopped and stood back watching, the Beast did not stop. He was in a zone she did not understand and did not care to.

"Have you gotten your level?" he asked her as he stopped and realized all she was doing was watching him.

"An hour ago, I don't think I will ever get tired of watching you fight though" she told him as she walked up and gave him a kiss.

"Most are usually appalled they call me an animal, and barbaric." he replied.

"I am not most" she smiled "Roku will be mad when he learns how you fight like this; he is a big fan of professional wrestling"

Beast just chuckled "noticed that did you?"

"Yes and if you don't wish for me to tell him you have to do something for me" she smiled and turned away.

It was now that he realized she had removed her armor, and at that moment she let her robes fall leaving her naked in the middle of the field, in the middle of the night and in the light of the full moon.

**A/N the skills he mentioned are in the SAO world and are not made up. Thanks to Draco38 for the editing. reveiw reply burn if you want.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N i know this is filler, i had more for this chapter. but when i write i like to do chapters 1200-1500 words. that is my comfort zone. **

March rolled into April and then before anyone knew it, June was here. The HOG's made their home on floor 10, Beast started taking the boys to higher floors when they all reached level 20 doing the quests for those floors, but always returning to their home on floor 10.

June 25, 18th floor:

"What level are you?" Roku asked as he helped Beast organize the drops of the day to get them ready for selling. The others had headed home for supper.

"Forty-seven," Beast replied quietly. "What gave me away?"

"You have not leveled while hunting with my brothers and I since December, Ryoko just hit thirty-nine two days ago.

"Once we were sure we could protect you we started to slow down our grinding."

"Do you ever go to the floor boss raids?" the child asked.

"Only the twenty-fifth, maybe I will join them on the fiftieth ," Beast answered "every twenty-five floors the boss is a hell of a lot harder then other floors"

"Where is the front line? How far have we gotten?" the boy asks again.

"Two days ago we reached the 30th floor."

"So that's 29 floor bosses in 7 months?" the kid asked doing the math.

"Think of it like this, it took one of those months just to get the first boss. Since then they have beaten 28 bosses in less then five months. So that's what six floors a month…a month is roughly 30 days, so that's a floor every five days."

That seemed to do the trick, Beast was sure his math was messed up but he didn't care, the boy had relaxed and returned to his normal calm state.

"Don't tell the others about my level, the three of you are not ready for power leveling yet, Ryoko has trouble keeping up with me and she nags me when I go out soloing." he chuckled as the boy laughed.

"Are you and Ryoko going to get married?"

Beast started laughing, "Maybe, we have not yet discussed it, we are both happy the way we are."

"If you do I get to be best man," Roku proclaimed loudly.

The boy got quiet for a minute as he thought about something, Beast just watched and waited.

"How do you do it? My dad is a good man but he never really hung out with us, he was always so 'proper' and was about 'respect', but you, you hang out with us, play, help us with our school work…you're such a better father then he was I sometimes forget you're not my father" he said.

"I had a good role model," Beast started. "My father was a good man, hard worker but in all aspects he was not a good dad, my mother divorced him and married another man. My step father showed me a lot, he took the job he did not have to and showed me what it truly means to be a father. I would not be able to look him in the eyes when I get back if I did not live up to him."

"We better get moving Ryoko will have us on dishes if we don't get back on time for supper."

The boy laughed as they gathered up their stuff and headed for the market. Beast smiled these little talks had become common between him and the boys. Some talks were simple, some were hard and important, but he always felt he did the best he could.

Naturally they were late for supper, and just as Beast said he and Roku were doing the dishes. The older boys were trying to convince Ryoko to let them go out the next day, she was not thrilled with the idea, Toma and Kiba were pure trouble makers.

"Come on, look Beast said he figured out how to ask the NPC guard to watch for someone, and there is that local guild that has made public safety for the town their job." Kiba argued.

It was true the NPC guards could be asked to watch out for certain people and Leaf Alliance Warriors (LAW) have decided that they were not the kind of players to do front line runs. They figured they could at least help make it safer for the lower levels on this floor.

"If you get in any trouble," Beast started as he stood at the sink. "You will be grounded for three, that is THREE months."

At first Ryoko was stunned and began to argue, but stopped. She could not keep the boys cooped up it would not be good in the long run.

"Fine," was all she said.

The next day started simple, Toma and Kiba ran out the door as soon as they were allowed. Roku went to the stone quarry, he had been hanging out there a lot, they paid him good Col for him to make the massive rocks into little rocks, and it helped him train his Two-Handed Hammer skill.

"How long before the boy misbehave?" she asked.

They were cuddled up on the sofa sharing soft kisses and caresses.

"Soon enough I overheard them talking about a tree that over looked the baths at 'Jimmy's."

"The brothel you helped start?" she asked surprised.

"Yep, so if they are not caught by three I'll go get them," he smiled. "We will still have to punish them with a week of grounding but if they can stay unnoticed till then it shows they are thinking with the right head."

She couldn't hold it in; her laughter came out as she realized he had set the boys up to fail.

"You, my amazing Beast are an evil genius," and she kissed him again only this time deeper and with more passion. She had just unbuttoned his shirt…

'Knock knock knock' the sound came from the door and Beast looked at the clock, 12:35pm

A soft growl was heard from the woman that lay on his chest.

Beast got up and went to the door praying it was some random sales man, a church preacher, the Easter bunny…anyone but.

"You two in your rooms, now," Beast growled and the boys quickly ran upstairs.

At the door stood a man, he seemed to look apologetic since he noticed the state of dress Beast was in.

"James, let me guess, a tree overlooking the bath?" Beast asked.

"Yep," he nodded. "Look, don't be too hard on them, there young boys starting to become young men, I don't know about you, but I was trying to peak any chance I got when I was that age."

"And if we were not stuck here," Beast interrupted "They would probably be burning their computers out on the internet porn sites, I was just hoping they would think enough not to get caught."

"Oh about that, they were only caught cause' I hired ten new guards for the house." James told him.

"What happened?" now Beast was concerned and alert.

"In the last week a former front line guild that lost big has come down to the lower levels, they have started to attack and rob people, and as you know my goal is to protect the girls."

"Ok, yeah thanks I had not heard about attacks," Beast replied and he started thinking. Taking that as his cue James turned and left.

"Attacks?" Ryoko asked as she walked up and closed the door for him.

"It was only a matter of time, in fact I am a little shocked it took this long." he replied and looks in her eyes.  
>"Do me a favor if you run across them just hand over the money, and everything…its just stuff."<p>

"And what if you run into them, what will you do?"

He smiled and kissed her "Do as I say not as I do."

"Don't get killed." she warned him. And he just nodded.

"I will go get Roku, you deal with them, right now would not be a good time for me to face those two.

She walked out and hurried up the street, he turned and headed for the kitchen.

"BOYS!"

**A/N if you don't like let me know, let me know why. i might be able to fix a problem. Review, respond, Burn if you want.**


	6. Chapter 6

**June 29:**

The boys took to their punishment quietly; there was no arguing that they had gotten caught. So for the next three months they would do all the dishes and cleaning around the house and except for the daily hunting trips they would spend the rest of their time in their rooms studying.

The problem was Roku. He had returned with Ryoko in a somber quiet mood, he seemed scared of something.

"Ok spill, what is bothering you?" Beast asked calmly and quietly startling the boy out of his day dream.

"I'm ok…" he started to say but when he met Beasts eyes he knew he had been busted. "Promise you won't be mad?

"We can not promise that till we know what happened," Ryoko answered as she sat down beside Beast.

"Well…a week ago when I was at the quarry, the master Mace and Hammer trainer showed me a new trick," He started slowly.

"As you know one of my strongest skills, 'Earth Shaker' has a forty-five second cool down, and the trainer told me to learn to make potions."

Here the boy stopped and went in his inventory and next thing the adults knew, there were about 100 potions bottles.

"Most are simple healing potions, but I got my skill up high enough to make these," and he picked up a yellow bottle.

Beast looked at in and the description read: **_Level one Paralyses potion. Apply to a weapon for a 50% chance to paralyze enemy for 30sec._**

"How many did you make?" Ryoko asked after she finished reading.

"Forty,"

"Wow that's good, combine that with 'earth shakers' AOE and that will make a lot of fights safer. Why are you so worried?" Beast asked confused.

"It's not these that I am worried about…it is this," Roku replied and pulled out a large bottle that was black.

**_Level 10 Paralyses and poison: Paralyze enemy for up to five minutes, poison enemy causing them to lose 1% max HP per second for up to five minutes._**

Both Beast and Ryoko were stunned, that was a deadly potion,

"How did you make this?" Beast asked concerned.

"I didn't mean to, I swear I was working on the yellow potions and I got a notice that I had failed one. Well truth is I got that notice a lot it takes some practice. Anyway when I checked my storage I found this potion." Roku quickly explained he was starting to sound scared again.

"You are not in trouble." Ryoko quickly told the boy, she spoke clear and looked him in the eyes. He finally relaxed.

"But I do want you to let me have this; it's a very dangerous potion." Beast told him and was shocked at how relieved the boy looked.

"I never wanted to make anything like that, I just wanted to help out, the skill is strong but the cool down makes me a…"

"Finish that sentence and I will ground you with the others." Beast interrupted. He knew he was going to call himself a 'burden'.

Roku smiled and nodded, after they helped him put all his potions away, ether in his storage or in the group storage they sent him to go work on his math for the day.

"I'm shocked, he has worked really hard on this I can barely make healing potions and I still have a 50% fail rating" Ryoko started. "To be able to make the level one paralyses potion is really good."

"But that black bottle, that's a death sentence to almost everyone. We need to know how he made it and why the system called it a 'failure'," Beast added nodding his head. "Call the Rat."

Ryoko frown, the 'Rat' was an information broker that they had met that named her self Argo the Rat, she was smart and helpful, for a price, but Beast did not seem to like her.

"Why do you hate her so much?" she asked as she opened her message screen.

"Cause I think she has the hot's for you, I am jealous and worried you will leave me for her." He replied smiling.

"Why would you be scared of that?" Ryoko asked shocked.

"You are a strong intelligent woman, sooner or later you are bound to learn something I learned a long time ago." He replied. "Women are better than men."

She laughed so hard she had to sit down. She knew that wasn't the reason well maybe it was one of the reasons, she also knew he would not tell her the truth till he wanted to.

"I have known that for along time," she smiled as she finished her message "You can still do thing no woman can do," she finished and went over to kiss him. "No one fights like you, and I love watching you fight."

**July 2, 11:35pm **

Su was sitting again and since she was not happy with the older boys 'actions', it was shaping up to be a quiet night for them. Ryoko and Beast went on one of their dates but this time instead of hunting they went to a small lake.

Argo the Rat moved through the trees quietly, after she spotted Ryoko sitting serenely by the water she started to move quicker, that is till she realized, Ryoko was alone, and the beast never left that woman alone.

"You're too loud," His voice was a low whisper…and right behind her.

Argo jumped and in midair spun around pulling her claws out in defense. At that point she realized two things, one; her feet never found the ground and two; she had a massive hand around her neck.

He had caught her by the throat and was holding her up one handed. "Put them away." was all Beast said.

After she did he let her throat go and carried her by the collar of her shirt over to Ryoko, but to Argo's surprise he set her down gently. Argo looked over the woman again and she was still shocked, every time she saw her she looked more and more like a Samurai, even now she was dressed in a lovely lilac kimono.

"Hello Argo, I hope you are well," Ryoko smiled.

"Well enough, considering," she replied and eyed the Beast.

"We called you because of this," Ryoko started speaking as she showed the rat the black bottle.

"My god…that's the rarest potion there is, and the only one that's rumored to actually work on a floor boss who…Roku, the youngest of your boys?" she asked shocked. "How did..?" she started to ask but stopped.

For good reason, she could feel the blades of Beast's claws against the skin of her throat.

"This potion is too dangerous to be mass produced, yes it could help clear field and floor bosses, but if players start using it on other players…we are talking nasty murder" he growled.

"Beast is right, this is to dangerous, you have to swear you won't sell this information to anyone without our consent. And defiantly not now, we wish to wait to see what the new lead groups are like, The Knights of the Blood Oath look to be good but we will wait and see." Ryoko told her and Argo could see if she went against her Ryoko would send the Beast out to hunt.

"I swear, not to give this information you are about to give me to anyone without your consent."

"You have to fail, a lot." Ryoko started to exsplain. "He was working on the level one paralysis potions, and after about 100 attempts he got a fail notice, and he got this bottle from that failure."

"So that's how you do it, there are potion makers searching high and low for a quest or a random drop for the recipe for this. No one thought about it being a fail creation." Argo replied. "It is funny people are doing there best to level that skill up to make this potion, and the higher the skill the less failures you have. That is almost to funny."

At that point a small screen popped up, it was from Beast and it had a trade…25,000col.

"Like we said keep your mouth shut, I am paying you _not_ to speak." He growled.

Ago just nodded, she knew this guy could be just plain out insane.

**July 6:**

The weather had changed, today it was a calm rainy day, and the streets were fairly empty.

"The temperature is still the same, but I guess people just don't like the rain." Ryoko chuckled as she looked out the window.

"Yep, only the true insane gamer would wish to level in this weather…well I'll be back later!" Beast replied smiling.

Ryoko's laugh was something he truly enjoyed hearing, and would make any bad joke to her could just to draw it out.

"Are you sure it was right to let the boys go out to help Su level? They are still grounded after all," he asked her as he sat back down at the table.

The three boys were on floor 8 helping the woman gain a few levels, seems in the mad dash after floor one was beaten, she was caught up in the tides and never leveled.

"Yes," she replied. "Su needs to level and the boys are working hard trying to get their punishment lifted."

"Not going to happen," Beast replied.

"No, but it's nice to see them acting like gentlemen for a change."

The two boys had indeed changed in just a couple days, please and thank you's had become common place as well as their willingness to be helpful in anyway. Beast and Ryoko both knew they were just kissing ass and trying to do anything they could to get out of being grounded, but it still felt good watching them.

"Will you be ok if I go out for a bit?" he asked her.

"Yes go do what you need to do; I want to work on some skill leveling. My cooking is good but my potion making and my jewel crafting is…behind," she smiled.

"You know the xp trick does work on those skills too, but be careful, if you cut your finger it hurts like hell." he laughed as he watched her change the settings.

"Just remember to take a nap, I plan to take you out tonight and I will need you fully rested," he smiled at her suggestively causing her to giggle again.

A few hours later, Beast was walking out of the jewelry store; in his hand was a small ring box. In the box was in fact a wedding ring, with a slim gold band, but instead off the traditional diamond, Beast never liked diamonds he felt they were dull, it had a simple yet skillfully cut ruby.

Walking back, the rain had increased so it was now coming down hard, and he could see lighting off in the distance. A message popped up for him, it was from Kiba. Beast's blood ran cold it only said one word…

HELP

He had never known himself to move so fast, he didn't even remember his feet hitting the ground as he ran. Beast got a second message from Ryoko saying she had also gotten a 'help' message, this time from Toma. Quickly he opened his friends list and map. They were on the eighth floor close to the town.

The biggest problem was a name was missing from his list, Ryoko, the boys and Su's name were the only ones he had, but now Su's was missing that only happens when ether you remove the name or the person dies.

Going through the teleport into the town on floor eight, everything was a blur; his eyes were locked on the map and list…

Toma's name vanished and before he could even think Kiba's name followed. Rounding some bushes he saw them, four men in heavy armor, one holding a massive Great-Axe. Ryoko was on the ground she looked like she had been hit, but suddenly was on her feet and charging. As he ran Beast saw something, Ryoko was not wearing her armor, she must have rushed out in fear and forgot to equip herself. She was knocked back down after her strike hit the guy.

Roku screamed and swung his hammer hitting the man that Ryoko had attacked, causing him to derezz.

A second man hit Roku with a large two-handed Great sword, knocking the boy to the ground, as he lifted his sword to impale the boy Ryoko jumped and covered the small boy with her body, just as the sword pierced her back and went all the way through.

Roku derezzed but Ryoko just shook in silent pain, there was blood pooling on the Grass.

Beast saw red, the second he was in range he took his throwing axe and threw with all his might and hate.

The man with the Great axe just smiled as he used a teleport crystal to head 'home' as he called it. The forth guy followed, but the one that had stabbed Ryoko was laughing, amused as he watched the blood that slowly drained out of her. He held his own teleport crystal when he heard a 'thunk'.

Looking he saw an axe stuck in a tree, the axed derezzed as the tree read 'IMMORTAL OBJECT' he turned and saw Beast running at him with all his speed, hate and loss evident on his face. The man just smirked and grabbed the hilt of his sword with one hand and went to use the crystal with the other.

Only it was gone, not just the crystal but his hand too. He looked down and saw it derezzing on the ground at his feet, and in slow motion he looked at the ground, the stub of his arm and the tree where the axe hit…

"Oh shit," he turned only to be face to face with Beast. Or more like face to fist.

Beast did not stop after the first hit. His fists and feet glowed almost constantly as he beat the living shit out of the man, slammed him into trees and a large rock, driving his Hp all the way to red before stopping.

He turned and fell down beside Ryoko, her Hp were almost gone as he life bleed away. Beast reached for a healing potion, but her hand stopped him, the wound was too bad a potion would not work now.

He looked at her face unable to speak as she met his eyes…and smiled.

Derezzing in his arms as he tried to hold on to her, the tears started. The sky changed and like on the tenth floor, rain started to come down hard, it felt as if the game too was crying for her. The killer on the ground started to laugh he had regained enough movement to open his menu.

That's when Beast moved, faster than a flash of lightning he grabbed the man's hand,

"What the hell?" he screamed as Beast used his own finger to change the detail setting to max and turn the pain dampener to off. He also found out the man had a healing crystal.

"What..?" he asked but Beast did not speak, instead he showed the man what was going on. First he used the crystal on him bringing him back to full health. He started to beat the man again this time using his claws as well. He carved, beat, kicked and basically torn the man apart. Bending his fingers and arms till he heard a 'snap' breaking the bones. By the time his hit points hit zero, he as well as Beast were covered in blood the rain only adding to the visual effect.

Standing there in the rain alone covered in blood beast collapsed, a dead look in his eyes…

**Review, flame, what ever.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Asuna's apartment yggdrasil city:**

"That was when I really started to glitch," Yui-chan said in a quiet voice. "They were so strong and happy; it was like the only thing to watch that was not pain and suffering. That was before Mama and Papa got close. After that I just remember images, spots in time."

All the girls were crying silently, Asuna looked up.

"Any one know who they were?" she asked in a whisper.

"Devil Dogs," both Klein and Kirito said at the same time.

"Truth is everyone gives the LC credit for PK murders but in reality it was the Dogs that were the first PK guild. They were wiping out groups and parties six months before the LC's famous raid," Kirito finished.

Asuna looked sick, she had cursed Beast more than anyone, he was cold, cruel, violent and plain out mean. Not to mention rude, but now she realized that he had lost more then most, in fact he had lost far more then she did, and no one was there for him.

"That was a bad day, what is worse, no one knew, no one cared then," Klein spoke. "The LC had to do their raid before anyone bothered to deal with PKer's, that's why I never had a problem with him or what he did."

"I am shocked he did not try to kill himself," Agil added as his wife nodded.

"Yeah…about that…" Klein and Kirito spoke again at the same time.

**Floor 8, July Seventh 2023:**

"Get up damn it, move!" Argo the Rat was trying to move the large man.

He still had the same dead look in his eyes and made no attempt to move, causing her to have to carry him, dead weight. She cursed and huffed trying to get him to the town, by sheer chance she looked and spotted two people, one had a red bandana that she did not know. The other was someone she knew and trusted.

"Kirito…KIRITO!" she yelled, the boys heard her and came running.

"What is wrong Argo, I never knew you did charity," Kirito joked but seeing the tears on her face quickly changed gears and grabbed the strange man's other arm. "What happened?"

"Yeah? He looks dead," Klein asked as he took the arm Argo was struggling with.

"Who are you?" she asked the red head.

"I am the powerful Klein, leader of the guild…"

"Whatever help me get him back to his home." Argo interrupted.

"What happened?" Kirito asked again.

"His whole guild was just murdered by other players,." she replied and that shut the two boys up.

Getting him to the town's teleporter, through it to the tenth floor and then over to his house was quick mostly because no words were spoken, no questions asked, both of the boys knew this was bad.

Kirito knew because he could not remember the last time he saw Argo cry or openly help someone like this. Klein knew this was bad cause as far as he knew this was the first case of pure murder in Aincrad and he knew this was going to change everything.

Argo had the boys take him upstairs to the room she knew was his and Ryoko's, and laid him on the bed before having the boys go down stairs with her.

"His whole guild?" Kirito asked quietly, they had been sitting at the table for over half an hour.

"Or I should say his family, they were more of a family," she answered. "I know he joined with them first day before the Death Game started, and he never left, he was their teacher, protector and I guess you could say the boy's father, in game at least."

"Father?" Klein asked.

Argo told them the story, who the boys were, who Ryoko was and a little bit about Beast. She also told them how they died, how she was returning from her daily rounds and watched as a woman, the boys, and her friend were attacked and killed.

"What about him?" Klein asked and watched Argo shift in her seat.

"I am afraid," she finally spoke.

"Afraid that he will die?" Kirito asked.

"No, afraid he won't" was her reply. Then she told them about what Beast did to the man. Needless to say the boys were shocked at the level of brutality .

"He is mean, violent, cruel and plain out sick. He and I never got along, he hated me and I did not like him but she and the boys could keep him, sane. Without them I fear blood will flow. It will flow in rivers."

"Player killers, murder," Klein started. "And this damn game was hard enough when our only opponent was the monsters. At least with them there were rules."

Kirito sat up straight, "Argo I want you to spread the word, I will cover your fee, tell anyone and everyone on the lower floors about these PK players, we need to find them and make sure they pay for this. Klein, you and I are headed to the front lines, see if the KoB has any news."

" Got it, what about our sleeping beau…"

A creek was heard interrupting Klein, all three looked up. Beast was standing at the top of the stairs, after a minute he moved to each bedroom looking over them before closing the door. When he finally came down stairs his three house guests noticed he had changed. He was showered and clean, he wore a pair of black slacks with a dark brown belt, a black button up shirt and he wore a blood red tie.

Argo looked at the clock, she and the other two had been talking two hours.

He ignored the others as he went to the kitchen and started pulling food out, the proceeded to start making meals, after making each one he would place it in his storage. When he was done he put on his long coat and a pair of sun glasses she did not know was in the game. They were round and had a dark navy blue tint, and they completed the look. _He looked like a hit-man from a yakuza movie_. A cold shiver ran up Argo's spine.

"Do you have all your stuff?" Beast asked looking at them finally.

They nodded unsure about what he meant.

"Then it is time to leave," and with that Beast started pushing buttons on a menu screen before heading out the door.

Flames started to spring up in the different rooms, Klein screamed as he headed for the door, the other two right behind him. They stood together and watched, Beast just stood there as his home burned to the ground. A notice menu popped up in front of beast Argo moved to try and read around him.

_**The House of Gremlins (HOG) guild has been disbanded, would you like to seal the name?**_

Beast hit a button:

_**The name has been sealed no other players may use this name in the future.**_

Beast turned and looked at the three, "If you find out who they are and you don't tell me…you will pay the piper for them." He turned and walked down the street, his aura was strong and everyone knew to get the hell out of his way.

After he was gone people started coming up to Argo and the other two peppering them with questions, in which they all told the truth. One, so that others knew there are PK players out there and two, cause they knew with Beast out there hunting, it was about to be a bad day in the worst way.

**A/N Thanks to Draco for his help. keep an eye out for him he has a sweet sAO-HSOTD crossover coming soon.**

**Things i want you to think about, why dose Asuna hate him (thats a chapter i have in my head that i laugh my ass off all the time.)**

**if you did not see it yet, Beast uses a lot of weapons that are used in ninjutsu**

**Dirty, nasty, and more coming soon. you have been warned. **

**reveiw, praise, burn the the fires of hatred. let me know.**


	8. Chapter 8

**August 3rd floor 6:**

The three men well teen boys moved around collecting their prize as Beast just walked around. He was tanking for the three he called 'Tom, Dick, and Harry', he did not know what their names were and he didn't care, they were bait.

"Hey what is our plan, head back to town or to the safe area?" Harry asked.

"Too late to make town before midnight, let's just camp out," Dick replied. "There is a safe area just down that hill."

He started leading them to the mentioned safe area. Beast just grunted he was power questing with the boys, helping them finish as many quests as possible as soon as possible. Well that is what they thought; truth is he knew they were PK prey. One month had past and eighty-seven more people had been killed, yet dealing with the PKer's was not high on the list of things to do. Most of the clearer's ether did not care or did not believe it was more than random.

"Hey Beast-man," tom called out using the nickname they had given him. Beast just looked at him. "Thanks, we wasted so much time, it's really helpful what you are doing."

"Welcome," Beast replied.

In the three days they quested together, the three finally learned, Beast did not speak much.

"Let's get some sleep. We still have that sunrise quest to do," Harry ordered and everyone but Beast laid down ready for rest.

Beast just walked out into the shadows, the boys had learned another thing, Beast slept alone.

**12:31Am **

"Well…well what do we have here," a voice called out a few hours later "Low levels trying to quest and get big and strong?"

The boys jerked awake, the voice was male and full of malice.

Three men, one very skinny, dressed in cheap leather outfits, like highway bandits from a cheesy movie. They quickly circled the boys.

"So, let's be civilized," the clear leader started. "Hand over all your Col, weapons, armor, and well everything and we'll think about letting you live."

The skinny one started laughing hysterically. "Let them live boss?! Come on, we never let them live, and you promised this time I get to kill them slowly…with a lot of screaming…and begging," he started laughing again.

The leader smiled, "And here I wanted to be a professional…but he's right I did promise my men that. So boys, here is the deal, hand it all over and I kill you quick, refuse and I let these two turn you into sushi."

"MMMMMMMM sushi, oh if only they would let us eat the corpses," the sick one laughed.

Tom Dick and Harry looked ready to piss themselves. Each was holding on to another as the two men circled around them.

"Doz, you take the fat one," the leader pointed at Dick.

When no one replied the leader looked behind him and found the one he called for missing.

"Doz? Doz where did you go?" he started to sound worried. "Seth where…SETH!"

In a matter of moments the skinny sick one vanished as well. He turned back to the three on the ground and started to speak when a crash was heard above them. Looking up the leader had to dodge out off to the side as a body fell.

It jerked before landing stopping before it hit the ground. The leader looked at the face; it was the missing man Doz. A rope was tied in a noose around his neck, which was clearly broken. Three seconds past with no one saying a word before the body derezzed into sparkles of light. Another body fell, this time hitting the ground. The leader moved over to the one he called Seth and rolled him on his back, blood was pouring out of a hole in his chest and the look on Seth's face was one of pure fear and pain as he finally died.

The body laid there dead after his Hp hit zero,

"Did you know that if you change your detail settings to max, you will leave a corpse for up to fifteen minutes?"

The lone killer jumped, the voice came out of the shadows. Slowly Beast walked out and stared at the killer turned prey. He was covered in blood, and the claws on his right hand were coated in the red liquid.

Beast smiled and continued, "It's a new feature that started about a week ago, I think old man Akihiko put in a patch once we started killing each other."

The man started to shake in fear, he did not know what to do with this animal.

"Where are the Devil Dogs going to meet next?" Beast asked calmly.

The leader looked confused; "Who…" he never got the rest of the question out, Beast moved so fast it was hard to track him. He now stood directly in front of the killer, his hand imbedded in his chest.

"Be grateful I don't have time to play." Beast whispered as the man died and derezzed.

Beast's Icon had shifted to Orange, seems you will only go red if you kill green players. He looked at the boys still on the ground.

"They were player killers, they have been stalking this floor for a week now, and I used you for bait. Pack up and return to town, grind more levels, if I see you above floor ten before you each reach level twenty I will kill you myself." Beast finished, left there party and walked out into the night.

**August 7. Mishe (35th floor)**

Beast walked the alleys, staying in the shadows. He smelled her before she made her first sound. Spinning he had Argo the Rat by the throat. Argo was not scared she was getting use to this, besides she had more important things to worry about.

"Beast listen, we have a nasty problem," she started. "Three people have been kidnapped by a group that is calling itself Devil's Outcasts."

She panted a little as he dropped her.

"Let me guess psychotic, murdering rapists?" he asked as he looked at her.

"Yes, these guys are sick, five days ago…wait how did you know that?"

He just shrugged, "They got that name from a really sick American movie."

"Whatever, listen they were seen on the thirty-third but no one can figure out where, I have people at all open floors waiting." she went too continued but he tuned and left.

"They did not leave that floor, there is an old house on the far side where no quest goes and you really have to look to find it." he told her as he slipped back into the shadows. As good as she was she knew when he got like this even she could not track him.

Beast growled, he knew about them, he had been tracking them for a few days now. He lost them a day before, but now he knew what floor they were on, and that is all he needed.

**Two hours later:**

He could hear them laughing as the girl screamed in pain and fear, looking in a window he found five 'outcasts'. Three red players including one girl maybe 15, held down and beat, groped, and molested another girl in her teens on the bed. The other two were green, but the looks on their faces showed they were not innocent.

"Come on," one of the greens begged. "Get her naked I want to fuck her."

"You heard him whore, release the lock," the red killer ordered. "Or we will kill your other friend too."

Beast looked and found another player tied to a chair being forced to watch. He looked beaten and appeared to be just barely staying conscious.

"Don't Aoki, they are going to kill us anyway, don't do it." he begged in a ragged voice.

"Shut up." the group of killers shouted in unison, as one went and hit the kid again.

"Come on sis," the green killer whined "you promised I would get to fuck her first if I lured them out this time."

"Relax little brother, have I ever let…" she started

The door was kicked in and Beast charged, first thing he did was throw his custom 'tomahawk' and smiled as it got stuck in 'sis's' forehead. He smiled because as she stood stunned blood started leaking out around the blade. Before the rest could process what happened he started to attack the others putting three throwing knives into one red before jumping at one that had been holding the teen girl down. He pulled him off and to the floor and started punching him slow and very hard.

Beast guessed that all three of them had their pain setting down about half way, which is a good setting to enjoy sex in game. However now that Beast had started using his Roman style Cestus called a Myrmex. He was sure this guy was regretting it as he moaned in pain with each hit to the face.

Judging by the blood Beast was sure these guys had already put the detail settings on high, Beast stopped after he was sure the guy was dead. Looking around, the third guy, the one he put the knives in was already dead, and the sister was still standing there body trembling.

Beast reached and pulled the axe from her skull and she collapsed, dead. Only the two green outcasts were left, the one that had not spoken grabbed a one-handed axe and scream as he attacked.

Steal Weapon is a special skill anyone can get if they train both their parry skill and the Martial Arts skill. It lets you steal an opponents' weapon regardless of what you have equipped or have trained with, and lets you use one attack skill with it.

Beast spun as the player attacked, and as smooth as a gentle stream took the axe and swung it down hard, embedding it in the back of the 'outcasts' neck with enough force and skill to decapitate him.

"Damn, that move is so much smoother with a sword," Beast commented as he tossed the axe on the floor.

The two victims' were just staring. The guy was barely conscious and the girl could not take her eyes of Beast, his curser had turned 'Red' when he killed the last one.

Beast smiled as he walked over and grabbed the head by the hair and looked into its face. The guy died with a look of shock in his eyes. Chuckling to himself he moved over to the last one, the kid that was demanding to rape the girl…

And started beating him with the head swinging it by the hair he started laughing as the kid screamed

"This is fun isn't it? This is what you enjoy, torturing innocent kids for kicks?" He stopped and dropped the head grabbing the would-be by his own hair and pulled him to his feet.

"But I'm…I'm green?!" The kid screamed as Beast wrapped his arm around his neck.

"And I'm Red," and with that Beasts hands glowed green as he snapped the boy's neck.

**A/N: Yes i make up stuff, yes i add things that are not in canon, reveiw reply burn in anger, just let me know how much you don't like it.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n The cover art is the closest thing to Beasts Myrmex i could find. imagine getting hit with them.**

**Three weeks later:**

The gavel struck its base three times silencing the 'court room'. The table was large and curved in a crescent shape, sitting at it was nine people, the leaders of the strongest guilds.

Standing before them at a 'parade rest' was Beast. It had been three weeks since he killed the Outcasts, and he had not spoken a single word.

"We have heard over the last three weeks," the leader called Heathcliff started. "The evidence that the victims of the man known as Beast were in fact guilty of heinous crimes,"

A small murmur was heard from the large crowd in the room.

"However Beast, your actions went far beyond justice. You could have captured restrained them, but you decided to butcher."

"This world is our prison, we fight and die to get home, why won't you speak?" Heathcliff pleaded.

Beast still refused.

"Very well," the commander said after a few minutes. Kirito who had been in the audience stood next to Ago. He could tell the commander was not happy, he seemed almost sad.

"For your crimes of murder, this court finds you guilty and sentences you to the Iron Palace prison for the rest of your life or until the 100th floor is beaten."

Half the room erupted in protests the other half was struck silent. The court room was full of people that knew Beast many of them he saved and they testified on his behalf, no one liked this verdict.

"I ask if the convicted has anything to say?"

Beast finally spoke.

"I do, this world is going to get worse," he started. "Japan is not a third world nation run by warlords, drug lords and power hungry people. But this is Aincrad, we have no written laws or rules except the oldest . Kill or be Killed."

The room was silent, his voice and charisma was something no one that did not already know him would expect.

"I am glad you have finally started, this court and trial, as bull shit as it has been, is a first step.

As he spoke he started to look around the room slowly, till he locked eyes with a 'handsome' man that seemed to hide in the back. The moment their eyes met Beast knew, the man just gave a small smile and a quick nod before simply disappearing.

"I hope you are ready cause it is only going to get worse from here."

He turned to follow the guard out of the room before he stopped. "Oh and I hope you have fun on floor forty-four."

"You arrested him?" the government man asked in a shocked and confused voice.

"We did not know," Asuna started before looking at Klein and Kirito, who Eyed her calmly. "Ok I did not know, the KoB unit that went with me after Argo told use about the house arrived just after he finished. The house was a mess, bodies and blood, until that day I had never seen blood in the game," she shivered.

"For many people it was the final straw," Kirito spoke as he walked over and gave his girlfriend a gentle hug. "At that moment it finally sunk in that this was in fact real, the game was over."

"How many testified to his innocence?" agent man asked.

"Innocence?" Klein asked almost as if the word was an insult. "None, he wasn't innocent, he was right. He may have used barbaric, cruel and violent methods, but he never harmed an innocent, and always helped in his special way."

"Until I was held captive by Fairy King Oberon I never realized just how…cruel some people can be." Asuna spoke thinking back and shuttering.

Kathy moved to sit next to the blue haired Undine and gave her another one armed hug.

"Tell me," Kathy spoke to the rest of the group. "If he had a life sentence, how did he get out of the prison?"

"The Laughing Coffin New Years Massacre," Kirito, Klein, Asuna, and Lisbeth all answered at the same time.

Before they could start explaining the legendry raid Yui cleared her throat.

"Umm…I have been going through all the files and memories I have now that I can organize them and have found something you should know before we get to that point."

**December 27th Iron Palace Prison.**

The sound of water dripping on cold stone added to the effect. Beast sat in his cell calmly waiting.

"You now it's rude to hide in the shadows," he spoke for the first time in months.

"You are correct." a man replied as he stepped into the light. He wore fine cloths but hid them and his face under a dark brown hooded cape.

"You were right," the man continued. "It is about to get worse."

"Come to gloat?" beast replied as he stood from his bed and walked to the bars.

"With you locked in here the Player Killers are hiding, two sometimes only three deaths a week. It is no secret that Heathcliff made it clear, and I quote 'If the number of deaths grows I will make sure to gain the Beasts release, and I will personally pay him to do what he would normally do for free" The man smiled.

"You are the only one that can stop me, you are like me, a predator I wish to beat you."

"You will never get a better shot at killing me," Beast smiled.

"Beat you, I do wish to kill you, but I want to beat you first, in as fair a fight as two assassins can manage." he corrected. "So I am here to let you know, you will be released soon."

"Am I worth it?" Beast asked. "Am I worth killing enough people to gain my release? You 're a shadow; they don't even know you are here."

"I need a challenge, without you it has become…boring. I never thought I would say it but simply killing people has become boring."

Beast didn't reply but flipped a simple coin to the man. Catching it and looking closely, it took a few moments before he realized the meaning.

"Yes we are, to parts to the whole, heads and tails, light and dark, and of course good and evil. You can not have one without the other."

"And I don't even know your name," Beast seemed calm, too calm and the man started to get agitated. He had been hoping to gain a different reaction.

"I am the Prince of Hell, PoH for short," Prince replied.

"A demon of hell? " Beast smiled. "Your long way from your realm, _your majesty_"

"So does this mean you will come play?" the man's voice and face began to change gone was the handsome face, replaced with a wicked smile and evil eyes.

"Did you know that the Hounds of Hell were not evil creatures?" Beast asked as he turned his back to Prince.

"Their sole duty was to hunt down, capture and return escaped demons to hell,"

"And this means what?" Prince asked confused.

"It means be careful what you wish for, you may regret it, careful what you wish for you may just get it.," Beast smiled. "And I hear the hounds howling, they are coming for you."

The game was over and Prince knew he had lost this round, Beast was unshakable. Prince tuned and all but ran out.

**January 2nd**

Three people walked down the corridor of the dungeon, Beast could name them. The heavy foot of the armored Knight Heathcliff, the softer step of his second in command Asuna and the almost stealthy step of a Rat.

Beast did not move as they opened and entered his cell, nor did he respond when they spoke.

"Prisoner Beast," Asuna started she seemed angry, she had never liked him. Beast didn't blame her, he had a habit of calling her a whore regularly.

"We are here to speak with you," She continued but grew angrier as Beast just rolled on his side facing the wall and presided to fall asleep.

That set her off and she was just getting ready to start a rant when her commander stopped her and looked at Argo. The rat just went to the bed and kneeled.

"Beast we have a problem," she started. "Just over twenty-four hours ago an entire guild was attacked and murdered by a group calling themselves Laughing Coffin. They killed everyone with no rhythm or reason."

"They did it so I would be released" Beast spoke.

"What?" Asuna asked. Shocked.

"Their leader. He came here a few days ago, told me he wanted me freed, wants a challenge." Beast spoke as he stood up from the bed.

"Don't start whore," he continued, looking at Asuna. "Yes it could be said that the attack was partly my fault, but it was also part his," pointing at the commander.

Asuna stopped, she had looked ready to shout both at what he called her and at the fact that the deaths were his fault, she looked at her commander.

"He is right Asuna, it is partly my fault, I am the one that said if it got to bad I would release him," The commander spoke softly.

"Then we should leave him here!" Asuna shouted.

Healthcliff watched her; he was always shocked that Beast could always drive his normally level headed and intelligent second to act immature and at times stupid.

"No, that will not work. Nether you nor I have ever dealt with killers like these. This was the work of a professional, we need someone that's also a pro," as he looked at Beast who grinned.

"No interference, cut me loose and stay the hell out of my way, that's the deal," Beast told them after a few minutes of silence.

"Deal, Miss Argo his equipment please," Commander nodded.

Argo just nodded and began to trade back all of Beasts items, he had asked her to hold his stuff seeing as she was the only one he trusted, well trusted enough to know what would happen to her if she tried to steal and sell his stuff.

"What floor are we on?" Beast asked as he finished the trade.

"Forty-four, and yes we are having…_ fun_," Argo replied in a voice that hemorrhaged sarcasm.

Beast nodded and turned to leave, Argo waited before looking at the man that stood next to her.

"You realize commander, you have just opened the gates of hell right?" She asked with out a smile or hint or mirth in her voice. "Are you sure you can live with the consequences?"

"I have been living with the consequences of my actions since this game turned real."

**A/N thanks to Draco38 my block has lifted for this chapter. Let see if anyone else besides him will ask a certain question.**

**I gave a little gift, here is a hint 'What is the name of the song'**

**Reveiw reply flame all is welcome.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N thanks to Draco38 for the beta again. one of my longest chapters.**

**January 16th Floor forty-four:**

The forty-fourth floor, some called it hell in Aincrad. It was meant as an easter egg for certain gamers. A floor comprised of the undead. Not tough or nasty, just mindless weak zombies, when they say weak they mean weak most were only levels 15-20 at most . And there were thousands of them, with the fastest respawn rate in the game.

If you were bitten you tuned into a zombie for twenty-four hours. The floor was meant as a laugh something to enjoy. However once the death game started it quickly turned into the worst nightmare of the game.

No one enjoyed it; it was cold and dark, raining, cloudy, and depressing. The worst part was there were only two towns and one quest on the entire floor. The second worst part was the field boss that guarded the floor; he was a giant skeleton riding a skeleton horse that commanded 40 lesser zombies, ghouls and other undead things. It had some unique skills, and had devastated the first two raid groups to try and attack it by Poisoning, Paralyzing, or simply turning them to stone.

Heathcliff and the KoB had done better, he was able to make sure no one else died, but no one seemed to know what the trick was, well almost no one…

Beast walked up over a small hill of human skulls and saw the field boss and all his minions. At Beast's heels was a dog, which looked like a cross between a pit-bull and a rottweiler, but the biggest shock was that it had three heads. The Cerberus was known to be a rare beast that could be tamed here on the floor, it's just no one could figure out how.

Beast also carried a large two-handed hammer and a black bottle. He took the bottle and spread the contents on the face of the hammer and then looked at his new dog,

"Ready to roll?

'Grrr'

"Remember the plan."

He stepped forward in a rush, as he entered the Bosses range Beast stopped and lifted the hammer and activated the 'earth shaker skill' the earth quake shook the entire area. Everyone of the dead minions was paralyzed and over half were poisoned, even the boss was effected. The poison was draining its HP slowly and it could barely move.

"Hit it!" Beast shouted as he waited for the cool-down. The Cerberus ran forward and took a great breath, then at the same time all three heads released three blasts of molten fire that went a crossed the field.

After the dog finished it gave a snort as if saying 'fuck yeah'. What was forty were now two and those two died quickly from the poison.

As the cool-down ended Beast quickly changed weapons back to his spiked gloves, just in time for the field boss to break free of his paralysis.

"I figured it wouldn't hold forever. Alright pup, stay clear this one is mine"

Beast charged. Running at full speed as the Boss raised his great sword above his head and slashed out, sending a rainbow colored wave of energy. This was his status ailment attack, and it engulfed Beast.

The man didn't even slow. Coming out of the energy wave, the field boss looked stunned for a second before Beast leaped into the air and brings down a hard punch to the skeleton's face almost knocking him off the horse. The second the human's feet hit the ground he was jumping and landing a back heel kick to the monsters chest, this time finishing what he started by knocking the boss from his mount.

Moving with his momentum Beast continued the spin till his back foot hit the ground where he re-chambered his arm and sent a hard strike straight into the hoses flank. The boss and his mount had very high defense but it seems separate the two, the defense just vanishes, the horse derezzed quickly and three of the boss's six life bars vanished.

Quickly looking at the Boss, Beast crouched low and his whole body body started to glow green.

'one'

Beast moved lightning fast as he went on the attack, fists and feet struck every inch of the Boss, The skeleton looked to be on the defensive from the start.

'five'

There was almost no chance to defend, Beast hit his opponent five times for every one hit he received.

'twelve'

Beast started to pick the boss up and slamming him to the ground hard. Its life points were dropping very, very fast.

'sixteen'

The boss was back to its feet and it was able to dodge one of Beasts attacks, it shifted to stand right behind the human.

Beast just smiled as he leaned backwards and wrapped his arms around the field boss's neck, then he kicked his own feet out from under him and pulled the skeleton down face first by the neck with so much force that by the time Beast hit the ground, the creatures face was almost flush with the ground and his feet were sticking straight up in the air.

There was a loud crack, and the field boss's life points hit zero.

Beast rolled to his knees and was breathing very, very hard. His own life points were nothing but a tiny blip of red, he only had 15HP left.

He took a deep, labored breath and his hit points went from all most none to fully restored.

'twenty'

He sat like that for almost a full minute before he raised his hand to call his dog, who trotted up with a happy puppy grin on all three of its faces.

Scrolling through his reward menu he stopped, and smiled. He removed his spiked gloves and started switching things around fingers working seamlessly. When he was done he put the gloves back on and then added a set of wrist and fore-arm guards, he flexed his fingers a second the closed his fists. Four identical blades, two on each wrist, sprang out of the guards.

They were serrated and very wicked looking, the blade stuck out about five inches from his knuckles or about half an inch past his fingers. When he retracted them the tips were set just behind his knuckles. His gloves had been changed so the blade were seated just right so unless you were looking right at them one could not tell they were there.

* * *

><p>"Argo?" Kirito whispered as he watched Beast walk calmly into the floor dungeon.<p>

"Yes," she replied as she stood up and started walking towards the door Beast just went through.

"That fight just took about five minutes" Kirito said as he followed her.

"I have a feeling Beast knew more about this floor, then anyone before this game started, and I have learned to stop questioning him." she spoke as she started to move faster.

"How did you know he was coming here today, and why did you bring me?" Kirito asked as he to sped up his walking.

"He told me, and he told me to bring you." was all she said as they reached the door and went in.

* * *

><p>Beast stood just inside and smiled. Unlike all other dungeons, there was no need to map this one, no need to search and scout and hunt, the door to the boss's room was about 100 yards from the dungeon entrance.<p>

Beast walked forward straight to the other door, there were no random pop up monsters, no traps, no anything. He just smiled.

As Beast stepped through the door he saw the boss.

It was an Angel.

Dressed in rich regal attire you would see on most tenth or twelfth century noblemen, he stood with his arm out holding a very fine fencing blade, the tip was pointed down barely touching the ground. The angel's eyes were closed a serene look on his extremely handsome face as he waited.

Beast stepped onto the raised platform the boss was on and waited.

"Last chance Mortal," The angel spoke as he lifted his blade and prepared to attack.

"Let's dance pretty boy," was Beast's reply.

The boss leaned back and as the wind picked up as he lunged. The skill called 'Divine Thrust' was a very powerful Fencing skill. The boss flew towards Beast at incredible speed, and Beast knew he could not block it, all he could do was dodge…or

Beast lifted his hands and quickly let the new claws out, thrusting both fists forward as the point of the angel's sword got into range, sparks of black molten steel shot out as he caught the swords blade.

It was wedged in the blades of his claws, the tip of the sword was an inch from piercing Beasts heart.

The momentum of the angel's attack was draining away as he started to drop from the air his feet were about an inch from the ground when Beast smiled again.

He kicked up into the boss's wrist activating his 'steal weapon skill' causing Beast to lose a large chunk of his hit points. The blade flew out of his hand and Beast caught it, flipped it and thrust it straight into the angel's Adam's Apple.

* * *

><p>Kirito watched as the boss derezzed, shock clearly on his face.<p>

"That…that was thirty seconds," he whispered not fully believing his eyes.

"Thirty-eight seconds to be exact," Argo answered. "Come on he is waiting to speak to us."

She decided to run ahead and as Kirito looked, Beast pulled out a camping chair and was sitting going through his menu.

As the pair reached the PK hunter as a few in SAO called him, he did not indicate that he noticed them. The dog that had stayed back during the fight was now sitting as Beasts side, only raised its heads but otherwise did not move.

"Questions will be asked one at a time," Beast spoke as the other two just stopped and stood behind him.

"Ladies first."

Argo paused and thought, "How did you beat the field boss?" she asked calmly.

"This whole floor was supposed to be easy, a gift. All of you allowed the gloominess to cloud you judgment and let fear blind you, you saw that it had six life bars, the most bars any boss had ever had," he spoke simply. "You kept getting bogged down with the minions, the trick was to get to him, get close, and get him off the horse. Separate the two and his defense vanished."

Kirito took his turn.,"How did you counter his attack, it had wiped out the first two raids and severely damaged all the others."

Beast typed on his menu screen and a window popped up in front of the swordsman.

**Immunity- Special skill a player gains when maxing out there Battle Healing, Meditation, and Emergency Recovery. Player becomes immune to all status ailments and changes.**

"This floor is the best place to level those three skills, and Laughing Coffin prefers to paralyze their victims." Beast told them.

Kirito was starting to see this floor in a new light. It was easy and with the different ailments a skilled player with a few partners could easily run it.

"What was that skill you used to make your body glow?" Argo asked next.

Beast just typed again and another screen popped up.

**Berserker's Dance- Unique Skill Power, Agility, Movement speed and Max health point increased five times. (Lasts twenty seconds) after twenty seconds all health points restored. Cool down lasts forty seconds and starts after dance ends. Damage received increased ten times (lasts one minute)**

"That is definitely your type of skill," Argo replied thinking about just how dangerous that skill could be.

"Why do you keep the double Xp. trick active during a boss fight?" Kirito asked. "Yeah the double points are nice, but for a boss fight…"

"Scroll down," Beast interrupted.

Doing so they saw the last note at the bottom of the skill page.

**_All pain dampeners must be turned OFF to use this skill._**

"If I have to do the first half of the trick in order to use the skill, might as well get a good pay check out of it," Beast replied as he chuckled.

"Are you insane?" Argo asked, she knew it was a stupid question, but still.

"Maybe," was all Beast replied.

"What were those claws you got?" Kirito asked quickly.

Again all Beast did was open a window for the pair to see:

**Yautja Dragon Claws: Void Blade( one of only five in game), negates all special bonuses from Demonic and Angelic Blades. Will combine with all fist weapons and claws. +50 damage +50 defense. Durability 10,000 enhancement 0/20.**

"I have never heard of a Void blade," Kirito commented. "There are only five in SAO?"

"Correct, though I don't know where the others are." Beast told him closing the windows.

"That answers my question of how you beat that boss so easily," Argo gave a weak chuckle.

"This floor," Beast started. "Is the reason I came to this game, I had missed the beta launch, but I had been in contact with one of the minor developers of the company. I asked him if there were any zombies to farm." Beast smiled.

"He told me about this floor, the bosses, and because he and I shared a love of zombie hunting, told me about this one void weapon. I had planned from the start to get to this floor and get these claws; it's why I worked so hard to train my wild dance skill instead of the more common weapon skills."

"How did you lose so much health when you fought the Boss?" was the next question Kirito asked.

"Steal weapon, is a hard skill, but harder when using it on a boss. Unlike on a player or a non-boss monster it will cost you thirty-five percent of you max health to use it. And I am sure you know what happens if you fail to get an instant kill using the skill…right?"

"Umm… not really," both Argo and Kirito replied.

"You lose fifty percent of your max health," Beast just shook his head. He was a little shocked that nether the 'Beater' nor the best information broker knew that.

"That is a hell of a risk," Argo whispered.

"The stronger the attack the more dangerous the penalty."

Kirito stood thinking, this guy seemed to know more than him and he seemed to be stronger then he was before he went to prison.

"How many levels have you gained since you got here? And what is your secret?" he asked finally.

"Counting what I got from this last boss…twenty-five." Beast replied.

"In fourteen days?" Argo almost shouted.

"Yes," Beast gave a very evil smile. "And because you asked two questions at once, we are done."

As Beast stood up to head, not to the stairs that led to floor forty-five, but back to the forty-fourth floor. Argo knew there was no arguing with Beast so she just tugged on her friends sleeve making him follow.

"Oh and Kirito?" Beast called stopping the pair. "Do the quest in Ghost Town, consecutively, for seven days."

**Yes some questions left hanging, Kirito is about to get in trouble...hehehe.**

**reveiw praise, burn in hatred all reveiws welcome.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N yes the dates are off normally by new years eve they would have been on floor 49. but i want Beast in prison for a few months. and i really wanted my floor 44.**

"And did you?" Asuna asked as she looked at her boyfriend.

Kirito had gone quiet, he was looking down and the others all just stared at him, except Agil, his dark complexion hid it well but his with noticed he was blushing too.

"What did you do?" Kathy asked Kirito a smiled threatening to break on her calm face.

"The Xp reward doubles every consecutive day you complete the quest," Kirito finally spoke.

"WHAT?!" Asuna, Klein, Silicia and Lisbeth all shouted.

"First day its 750, then 1500, 3,000,6,000, 12,000, then 24,000 and on the seventh day…"

"48,000xp" Klein looked god smacked.

"Very good Klein," Kathy smiled and laughed. "You get a cookie."

"Actually no," Agil started "on the seventh day it goes to 50,000 and stays at 50,000 for every day after as long as you don't skip a day."

"With how easy those monsters were I could have leveled up enough to join you on grinding" Silica complained. She had always hated the fact she wasn't able to level as fast as Kirito so she couldn't travel more with him.

"Yeah," Liz agreed for the same reason as her beast tamer rival.

"Me and my guild could have been power houses," Klein whined. He felt this was a great betrayal from his friend, he pouted for a few minutes.

"Not worth it," Asuna said confidently "I hated that floor, even with that much Xp I did not go there if I could avoid it"

Asuna shivered at the memory, Kathy just smiled.

"Ah come on zombie hunting is fun, it's one of my favorite pass times of playing games, I can't wait till we can go there together." She smiled at her husband as he grinned back at her. His wife always got playful when she played the old first person shooter zombie games.

"Yeah," Shino smiled as she sat at a table in her new Cait Sith avatar learning everything she could about her new friends and the life in SAO. "Give me a rifle or bow and sit me up in a tree, I could really get to enjoy that."

"I am not," Asuna stated not realizing Kathy was just teasing her. "A horror fan I don't like zombie movies."

Klein realizing this talk was getting a little heavy changed tactics as only he knew how.

"How the hell did he tame the Cerberus, my guild and I tried repeatedly to get it, we figured having one would really help, especially after the first time we saw the fire breath."

No one answered; Klein started to feel a little stupid as they stared at him.

"He would never tell, he seemed to wish to keep that secret for himself, he opened another guild, called HoH," Kirito started.

"Which stood for 'Hounds of Hell'" Liz added answering Klein's earlier statement of not knowing what it stood for.

"Hounds? As in plural?" Shino asked calmly.

"Yes even though at the time, he was the only one in the guild." Liz confirmed.

Agil spoke up, "I think Dale," indicating that he referred to one of Klein's guild mates. "Would have been really interested in seeing that battle with the field boss."

"Why is that?" Kirito asked and then slapped his own fore-head remembering.

"Of course Beast used a professional wrestling move to finish him off and Dale is a pure nut about Pro wrestling."

"What that neck breaker thing?" Asuna started to ask.

"Cutter," Liz corrected, "A neck breaker is when the opponents are standing back to back…"

"Jesh you're as bad as Dale," Klein stopped her. "You be careful if he found out you're a fan he will be asking you for a date."

"And we would have to remind him you're still a teenager and he is to old for you." Kathy smiled almost laughing again.

"What," Agent Kikuoka interrupted, the first time he had spoken in a while. "Happened next, did he hunt down Pker's?"

"Oh he hunted them all right," Kirito Klein and Liz spoke.

February fifth.

"So, Beast…" Argo started speaking as she walked with him towards a Blacksmith shop on floor 48.

Seems once again the cleaners are running through floors at an insulting pace. They had been discouraged at how bogged down they had gotten on forty-four and then when word got out that both the field boss and the floor boss were soloed…in less than fifteen minutes (Kirito took the credit on Argo's advice)

Lets just say the cleaning guilds were…motivated.

"Just how many is that now?" she finished. She was asking how many Pker's he had killed since his release.

"Thirty-two dead, five in prison." he replied.

"Why the five?" she asked. Beast was not known for taking prisoners.

"Those were impulse killings not murder, even I know sometimes things go bad with no warning," he spoke and she knew that talk was over.

The blacksmith named Lisbeth walked out to greet her new customers.

"What is your Skill level? Beast asked her bluntly.

When she told him he just pulled up a trade menu and gave her a template for a new sword called Lambent Light

"I hear you know Asuna, Make that for her." he told her and added some Col to pay for it.

Before ether girl could say anything Beast turned and left.

"Hold up Beast," Argo shouted as she ran to catch up. "Where did you get that and why did you order it to be made for, of all players, Asuna? You hate her."

"Got it from the angel." he replied not slowing down.

"And why…" she started but Beast just shushed her as the Cerberus just trotted up to them from an ally.

"What did you find Pup-pup?" Beast asked his dog who just growled softly in reply.

Pup-pup was a strange name for a animal as dangerous as this one, why Beast named her that was beyond her.

"Argo?" he asked her calmly. "Leave, I am going hunting now," And with that Beast and Pup just vanished.

She stared into the night, "I don't know what to do Ryoko, he is just getting too…" she whispered unable to finish her own thought

* * *

><p>Beast walked up to the door of a house, it was a brothel that he had found. In side was rumored to be a Pker he had been looking for. He kicked the door open and charged in and down a hall ignoring the three bouncers as they shouted at him. Beast charged a door and crashed through it.<p>

On the bed was a hooker tied up in ropes, Beast noticed the fear in her eyes as a man, his target, came charging from the closet. He was completely naked and welding an axe, swinging it at Beast's head.

Beast dodged and caught the man's arm in his left hand and sunk the Dragon claws on his right and into the man's gut. The pain in the man's face and the blood pouring out around Beasts hand made the PK hunter smile an evil grin. Pulling the blades out he kicked the man behind his legs forcing him to his knees.

"Shino Makuna, I have been looking for you," Beast just lifted his fist again and pulled the man's head back before driving the blades down into the man's throat.

His body twitches as he died Beast saw a woman slip into the room and untie the girl, and that is just what she was, a girl.

"How old?" he asked and the hooker who was wearing a simple tunic looked at Beast, her eyes had fear of him but as she spoke they turned to anger.

"Thirteen, the 'madam here felt that was a good age to be a whore," she spat.

"Don't go anywhere." Beast told her and went out into the hallway.

"I am out of here," one guy shouted. "I wanted a good time but I am not getting a rep of a pedo." several men shouted there agreements as most in the house ran for the door.

Beast moved to the next floor and found a large heavy door at the end of the hall. Beast just kicked it open and marched in. There stood a woman that looked in her mid-thirties, she just smiled at Beast.

"The so called PK Hunter ," she laughed Beast could tell her mind had cracked, probably from being stuck in the game.

"You can't kill me, not only am I green but I have a few high ranking guild members protecting me…offfff."

Beast had cut her off burying his fist in her gut. He then took a metal wire and wrapped it around her neck like a dog's choke chain and dragged her out of her room. He saw the first woman as she got the girl dressed.

"Throw some pants on and follow," he ordered and headed for the street.

The woman did not argue, she actually smiled when she saw him dragging the 'madam' out. A short crystal jump found Beast, the madam, the woman and the girl walking into what is simply called 'The Hall' it was the meeting place of the guilds as well as the court room.

"Beast, I'm shocked to see you, Heathcliff almost smiled. "You don't normally take prisoners."

Beast ignored that as he threw the madam down on the floor.

"Shino is dead, this is Lisa Makuna and she says I can't kill her cause she is protected by high ranking guild leaders."

Any mirth Heathcliff had went straight out the window, having Beast decide to hunt in the cleaner guilds was not something he wanted, this was a challenge by Beast and the KoB commander knew it.

"And these two are witnesses," Beast added pointing at the two standing behind him.

Beast moved to the back as the 'court' started asking question, madam Makuna had no trouble telling about her 'friends' as Beast stood by the wall his little red book in his hands. That book was his 'kill' book, the names of those he hunted and will hunt.

"Madam Lisa Makuna, for the crimes of Child prostitution and the ordering the deaths of witnesses this court finds you guilty

"The sentence is death," Heathcliff announced, he would have preferred to send her to prison, he was not a hanging judge but with the number of corrupt guild men he knew to keep Beast from bleeding the cleaning guilds he had to do this. "Beast if you would?"

Beast walked up behind the Madam and wrapped his arms around her neck before snapping it quickly, the body derezzed shortly after dropping to the floor.

"That was rather clean?" one of the other guild leaders spoke, they had become accustom to Beasts style.

"Her mind was cracked, she deserved death but there is no point in torturing someone like that, I don't think she even realized what just happened."

He turned and walked out of the room without another word. The hooker watched calmly as she heard someone ask,

"Did the Beast just show compassion?"

* * *

><p><strong>Fast chapter i was at 1880 words before i knew it. reveiw, love hate burn in effigy. <strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N come on people leave a review let me know what is up.**

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><p><strong>Ghost Town Forty-fourth floor. February twelfth <strong>

"Lady Mai," Klein spoke up. "We have brought you to the town, as instructed by Argo, we will leave you here, if you need us to take you back we will be…" he stopped and looked around. "At that Bar." he pointed at a run-down bar that had a pair of ghost NPC's sitting in front.

Mai knew this was a rule, ever since she first saw him at the brothel and then watched him at the 'trial' of her former boss, she had learned Argo was basically the Beast's keeper. She had asked about him and where to find him.

To everyone's surprise Argo answered, free of charge. She even paid to hire the guild Fuurinkazan to escort her through the forty fourth floor since she was under level.

But Argo made it clear she was to meet him alone, and she warned her that he would probably not give her a warm welcome.

Mai moved through the town and went to the last building, it looked like a run down and rotting hotel, HoH carved into the front door. She went to the door and pushed on it, it swung open.

"Hello?" she called out as she entered.

A deep growl was her only reply. Mai stopped and stood still as the three headed Cerberus named Pup-pup came out of the shadows.

"Hello Pup-pup my name is Mai I have come to speak with your master."

The dog did not reply, but it did however look to Mai's left, She turned her head and gave a small gasp as a massive hand wrapped around her throat and picked her up pinning her to the wall. After a second she relaxed, this was also something Argo warned her about.

"Can I help you?" he asked not kindly but not rude ether, if Mai had to guess, she would say he was curious

"My name is Mai, I am a submissive girl and I am here to ask you to be my master," she told him. Argo made it clear, no games no bullshit.

"How did you know I was here?" he asked.

"Argo told me and made sure I got here safely."

"Why would you need help?" he let her down and turned away.

"I am only level twenty, this floor is too big for me to solo," Mai replied as she walked up behind him just to his right.

"Who brought you?

"Fuunrinkazan, Argo hired them to escort me here, and if you decided you don't wish me to stay," she gave a small bow as she mentioned his choice on whether he lets her stay. "They are to take me back; they are at the bar in this town."

Beast walked through a door into another room she shrugged and followed _'he did not say no…yet'_

The next room did not belong in the house or the floor, it was clean, a warm fire going in the fire place. The colors were deep reds and blues, simple but very homey. In the kitchen Beast was making his lunch, simple sandwiches and juice.

Mai was not stupid she watched everything, his food was basic, just enough to fuel the animal most people she spoke to about him said he was. She knew looks were deceiving, she was standing in the den of probably the most feared 'good guy' in SAO second only to 'The Black Swordsman'…maybe.

"I am a killer," Beast started as she quickly looked towards his voice, he sat on the counter eating his sandwich. "I hunt player killers, find them and simply kill them."

Mai did not reply she stood there giving him her full attention, Beast had to admit, she was disciplined.

"I am level eighty-two, I grind hard so when I meet a player I am ready for them," he continued. Mai gave a short jerk when hearing his level but remained quiet. "If you travel with me you will be a target, you will need to power level to get to at least fifty."

He did not say she could not stay, Mai took this as a good sign.

"Tomorrow we will get all the quests you have skipped, if you thought life as a hooker was tough, get some sleep and tomorrow pack a lunch." he hopped off the counter and walked to her. Taking her arm he led her to a small bed room.

"You sleep here for now, remember the ladies in my care…are different then any other you may have met."

He closed the door and locked her in her room. Beast looked down at his dog. "Guard."

* * *

><p>Beast slipped into the back door of the bar and found Klein and his guild there waiting, Klein himself was standing at the window watching. Beast knew Klein was a good natured, honorable man, normally with a smile and a joke(generally bad one's) ready for his friends. So to see the solemn stone look on his face just showed that he took this situation very, very seriously.<p>

"Are you sure about this?" Klein asked as he turned back to the room, Beast just hid in the shadows.

With the rest of Klein's guild sitting at the bar was Argo.

"Yes, Beast has a mission," she replied. "But he is getting strung out, this woman may be able to help him regain his balance."

"That," Beast spoke as he stepped into view. "Is yet to be seen."

The men in the room jumped at his voice, Harry one had his hand on his weapon causing Beast to stop.

"Is it wise to draw on me?" he asked them.

Dale stood up "We are not weaklings, you maybe The Beast, but we are Fuunrinkazan, and we fight as a team."

Beast nodded, "True but is killing me really worth losing at least one of your guild mates?"

"Harry sit down before you fall down," Klein 'joked' hoping to defuse this little fight. "You have been shaking like you need to pee since we got to this town.

The rest of the guild laughed, as they started teasing their friend who was blushing red and muttering about an 'evil scary town'

"You may leave, tomorrow at seven in the evening she will be at the teleport on the tenth floor." Beast told the men. "If she is not she will be dead."

Klein walked towards him, "If you kill her, or intentually get her killed, we will dance and we will test The Beast verses Fuunrinkazan"

"That…is why I trust and respect you Klein." Beast replied calmly.

Klein nodded and motioned for the others to follow. After they left Beast ordered a bottle and two glasses from the Ghost barkeep.

"What are you doing Argo?"

Argo just took her glass and drank, as she pulls a small message crystal from another pocket and pushed play.

'_Argo if you are receiving this then that means the boys and I have died' Ryoko's voice filled the room. Beast almost lost his seating and his breath._

_'I have given Beast a message like this, and a mission. Help him but watch him, I have learned that before he was a soldier, a dedicated one the scars on his body are evidence of that. I believe these months here with me and the boys have healed him in a way nothing else could, it was fate that brought us together._

_You know what kind of woman I am, we had that long talk about five days ago. He needs another, if he does not have one he will become un-balanced, he will forget to live as he fulfills my mission for him._

_I leave you this money to help you help him,_

_ Your Friend, Ryoko._

Beast sat in silence.

"You are out of Balance; I have looked for a while now, for a woman like Ryoko, not to replace her, but to help her help you." Argo finally spoke.

"Tomorrow, seven P.M." was all Beast replied as he stood. To leave.

* * *

><p>The next morning when Mai woke up, she did not remember when she fell asleep. Looking at the clock it said 5:54a.m. and she quickly rolled out of bed and into the adjoining bathroom for a shower. Once done she returned to her room, and went through her menu and put her armor on. It was the first time since last summer she had worn it.<p>

It was leather with a few metal pieces in certain places, her top was a tight fitting sleeveless leather vest with buttons halfway down the front. Normally she left them unbutton and did not wear anything underneath to show off her cleavage, now however she put a sports bra and tank top under it and buttoned it up tight to the neck.

Next was her skirt. It was short, barely reaching just above mid-thigh and had a slit up each side to the hip, sexy to many but also functional this gave her more freedom of movement when running. Under her skirt she put on a pair of short-shorts to prevent the common panty shot.

Next came the leggings. They were thick cloth or thin leather depending on who you asked, and went from her feet all the way up to just touching the hem of her skirt. She moved from her leg armor to a pair of finger-less heavy leather gloves and a set of fore-arm protectors that went from the gloves to her elbows. The arm guards had small strips of metal to add extra protection.

Then came her boots. They were a pair of riding boots with a slightly raised heel, a narrower toe and the tops reached halfway between her foot and knee.

Last came a pair of shin and knee guards, that matched into the boots well and like the fore-arm guards also had small strips of metal.

Looking her self over in a mirror she smiled, and started to stretch out getting use to the armor again. She knew this outfit could look sexy and erotic but she also knew, Beast was not looking for that today. He planned to work her and she was sure he would prove to be a tough task master.

Standing up she turned towards the door and stopped, Beast was standing there watching her.

**Three hours earlier. **

Beast woke quietly, he had returned to his home two hours after his talk with Argo, hearing Ryoko's voice put him in a state of mind and he decided to kill some undead before returning.

When he returned he found his house guest asleep, Pup was lying in front of her door and would not leave it. Sleep came fast and deep for him that night.

When he woke he showered and dressed for grinding, he planned to work this girl hard. He had just finished making their meals for the day when he heard her shower going. After it quit he went to her door and looked in. She did not notice him as he watched her.

This was the first time he really looked at her body, the day before he just watched her face and eyes. Now he looked at her as she started to dress, she was average height. Her hair was dark purple, one of the in-game dye jobs and looked silky smooth as it reached down to her mid back.

Her body was firm and toned, she would be petite in America, but in Japan she was very athletic.

He watched her put her top on, she had large B's or small C's breasts, but he smiled as she used the Bra and tank top and buttoned up her vest 'good she knows this is a work day'

He nodded as she put the shorts on under the skirt.

As she finished with her shine and knee guards and started her stretching he got a good look, 'perfect ninja assassin outfit, question is can she kill a human'

When she turned and finally saw him she froze, Beast just took her by the arms and made her face the mirror again.

Taking her hair in his hands he began to braid a platte down her back, he stopped and opened a menu and she got a trade notice from him.

Opening it he gave her a steel ball about the diameter of an American quarter, she held it with a confused look on her face.

"Hand it to me," he ordered.

He took it from her offered hand and held it up, with the tip of the braid in his other hand.

"Now watch," he then showed her how to braid it into her hair at the very end in a way that it was both hidden and not going anywhere.

He turned her to face him and took her hand and held it up in front of her face about a foot out.

"Turn your head to the right and then whip it to the left."

She did and the steel ball slapped into the palm of her hand, she also noticed her life points dropped by five when it struck her flesh. Mai just smiled.

"Weapon?" Beast asked and Mai brought out her short sword.

It looked like a Wakizashi but a little shorter, it was just about one or two inches longer then a Tanto.

"Looking to use a Katana?" Beast asked calmly.

"No sir, I prefer the shorter one-handed blades" she replied as he gave it back to her.

She sheathed in and placed it on the back of her hip, for a quick reversed handed draw.

He turned and left the room with her following.

**5:15p.m. Floor Eight-teen.**

Beast watched as Mai went to her knees panting for breath. After they left he noticed her armor was in good shape, but not good enough for higher floors, so the first stop was a leather and light armor smith he knew and had them make a set that looked like Mai's, only stronger.

While it was being made he led her to the tenth floor where she told him was where she stopped doing quests.

They started on the grinding at 8:30 that morning. He ran the quests; literally he never slowed down as he rushed all of them. They never stole a kill from another player, but he made sure she killed every one as they could when they came across it.

He suspected that Argo told her about the Double Xp trick, because she was using it from the start. She never complained or whined, she just fought through the pain as she kept up with him.

At 12:15pm they reached floor twelve. Stopping to get her new armor, Beast saw she had gained four levels.

He nodded but did not smile. Speed was not her weak point, she was blindingly fast and her sword skills and style worked well for her. He decided to step it up.

Floors twelve through seventeen were as a speed that was pushing insane. Every mob, mini-boss, and quest were hit. Beast had her switch between her sword and her throwing items; he even had her work on her unarmed Martial Arts skill.

"Nine hours since we started," Beast spoke. "How many levels have you gained?"

Mai breathed and stood back up regaining her composure as she checked.

"Thirty-one, I have gained eleven levels," she answered.

"From now on we only do quests that have good benefits; you are ready to grind level forty-four,"

He led her to the teleport for her to meet Argo and Klein.

* * *

><p><strong>AN thanks to Draco for the edit.**


	13. Chapter 13

** 8:30pm Floor Twenty-Seven**

The meeting with Argo and Klein went smooth, Beast didn't speak. It was just to show Mai was alive and well, all the guys were marveling at her rapid rise in level.

Now they walked down the road calmly talking. Beast was not sure if she realized that they were patrolling for muggers but her relaxed yet attentive stance showed she was not stupid.

"So how did you end up here?" he asked.

"Well, my mother died when I was nineteen. I had no father that I knew of, so to make money I started hooking the streets," she started.

"Wasn't too bad I enjoy sex, so I figured why not get paid. I actually got to enjoy the BDSM life style, I found it fun and different." here she smiled.

"Naturally things went downhill and I had to find something else. So about a year before this started I switched, I found me a permanent master."

Beast did notice how she glanced over 'how things went downhill' but choose not to speak.

"He was twenty, a real computer nerd, but he was rich and self-sustained. He could afford to take care of me and he always treated me right, even in that life style. It could have been way worse. "Well he was a big gamer too, and loved his fantasy role-playing so he joined SAO and brought me along."

"What happened to him?" Beast asked as he looked around.

"The Death Game started," she replied. "We leveled up through floor ten but it got too much for him, for a well-educated guy, who did live rather shelter. I guess that's why he had trouble with women and ended up finding me." She gave a small chuckle, and then her face went somber. "He cracked and did a swan dive off the suicide bridge."

Beast waited as she reflected.

"Well you don't live as long as I had on the streets of Osaka and not grow a little steel in your spine; I tried gaming but decided to return to my old job. It was safer here, I did not have to worry about being beat or raped anymore…well I did not have to worry about that most of the time. I bounced from floor to floor, worked the front lines as a…'camp follower' I think is the term," she smiled again.

"Then about a week before you showed up, Madam Makuna came to me and offered me a clean room, three meals a day at no charge. I had gotten soft being here and let her sweet talk me with false promises."

Here Mai growled, Beast thought it sounded sexy.

"I learned that she had gotten an under-aged girl and was selling her, I stood up from my chair in the break room and ran to the room I had heard the girl was put in…only to find this big, mean, cruel and downright sexy as hell…animal." Here she gave Beast a flirty smile. "Getting ready to ram some wicked looking blades down the pedo's throat, This was hot as hell by the way."

She actually wrapped her arms around his as they walked.

"We went to the court and had the trial; I watched you kill her and decided to find out who you were. You re-awoke that submissive side of me. I had a met up with Argo, and she told me where to find you and how to get there."

Beast stopped but did not look at her, his eyes were on a clump of bushes, During the day Mai had trained her finding skill and she smiled as she noticed the five man team hiding.

"Ok you two," a voice from the bush spoke as the five men walked out. "Money, jewels, weapons, the girl, hand them over," he spoke with an arrogant tone of voice.

A sixth person came up behind them and wrapped their arms around Mai. This was a woman.

"This one is mine tonight," The woman in a sickly pleased voice as she nuzzled Mai's left ear.

Beast smirked, the look on Mai's face was not fear, revulsion, or concern…it was boredom.

"Mai? Show me how things 'went downhill'," Beast spoke simply.

Mai elbowed the woman in the gut, and then spun around 360 degrees. Slamming the woman with the steel ball in her braid, before dropping to a knee and pulling her sword.

She sprang up and spun around faster then anyone besides Beast could see. When Mai reach the apex of her leap, the bandits were all stunned as the woman thief's body fell backwards and her head fell forwards before derezzing.

"Bitch!" a big man screamed as he charged. He was the only one with plate armor and wielded a massive two-handed spiked mace. He lifted his mace to attack as he rushed her.

Beast stepped up and caught the Mace with his left hand. As the man struggled to free his weapon Beast just lifted his right hand, the spikes of his gloves were a scary sight, but the claws were just terrifying.

"Where are the Devil Dogs?" he asked.

"Who?" the big man asked confused.

Beast did not reply he just slammed his fist into the man's chest, piercing the armor and draining his life points in about a blink of an eye. Beast did not use an instant kill; the guy was just really weak.

The other four were stunned and fell to their knees. Beast didn't even smile as he walked over to them. Mai just cleaned her blade and scratched the heads of Pup as the dog trotted up.

"Ok children," Beast started. "You three head to floor thirty-five and turn your selves in. If I don't get messages in the next hour saying you arrived and confessed all your crimes and I mean all of them."

Beast glared at the four and they seemed to whimper.

"Then I will find you and cut you into little pieces, I have even learned how to keep the meat so I'll fry you up into steaks and enjoy my meal."

Mai just gave a big smile and made an 'mmm…' sound.

Once again Beast was sure if the action would have been possible in the game, all four of them would have pissed there pants. One guy actually fainted.

"Well…what are you waiting for?" he smiled again. "Shoo," and waved at them to leave.

After they were gone Mai broke down in a joyful laugh as she looked at the man she now followed.

"Have you really figured out how to eat your kills?" she asked. Part of her thought it was funny, but the other part was worried that he was not bluffing.

"Of course not," he smiled as he replied. "How about you, did that really make you hungry?"

"Nope!" she replied continuing to smile. "I just wanted to add to their fear; I was kind of worried you might not have been bluffing."

Both laughed as they went to search the fallen loot from the two kills, Beast noted that it was all crap. "I could only self this stuff to NPC merchants'," He voiced as he stored the gear just for that reason.

Mai was going through the stuff she got from the woman, most of it was also trash, but she found a few pieces of jewelry that might fetch a col. or two at a dealer.

"No problems taking a human life?" Beast asked pulling Mai from her thoughts.

"No, it was not my first time," she replied and again stood up to face him.

Beast just waited.

"I have had to kill twice, once when I was twenty the second when I was twenty-four," she finally spoke. "The judge agreed they were both self-defense, but he did suggest I find a different line of work after the second time."

"I hope you don't get to use to it," Beast spoke as he waved her and Pup to follow.

"Me ether. I don't feel bad about the men I did kill, but I don't wish to get to use to it and end up killing some one innocent," she nodded.

"That is my fear as well," Beast admitted.

They walked to the next town and stopped to sell their junk. Mai was able to get some extra Col. From a jewelry dealer. She had no problem just handing the money over to Beast, who took it without question.

They walked to the next town and stopped to sell their junk. Mai was able to get some extra Col. From a jewelry dealer. She had no problem just handing the money over to Beast, who took it without question.

The return to the house was uneventful. Beast walked in and watched as Pup led Mai over to her food dish, and Mai happily fed her.

Beast went to his room and stripped before heading into his shower. About five minutes later, Mai came in naked and stood behind him and started washing his back. She never spoke as she worked from his neck down to his ankles before slipping around and starting on his front.

When she finished she wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up into his eyes.

"I am not Ryoko," she told him. "I don't think I could even try to replace her, I can't be the Lady Samurai of feudal Japan like she was."

"And I don't want you to," Beast spoke up cutting her off. "There is no way to replace her; she was one of a kind. However so are you, and you will be a lady. All of my girls are ladies; I do not own cheap or trashy women."

She stared at him confused, finally doubting whether or not she could meet his expectations.

"But we will find the lady that you are. It will not be a mask you put on, it will be who you are. And don't think it is not possible, if you were not up to it I would have sent you away long before now."

Then he finally smiled and kissed her.


End file.
